Show I 1 fa A DEED OF DF MARIONS melta MEN I 1 r 4 bo the sound of horses hoofs was heard coming down the long avenue of live oaks from the appearance of the rider it was evident that cometh something ing very exciting had happened he was a mere youth not more than 16 or 17 years of age but he be was as tall strong of limb and supple as a young ash his body was bent slightly forward in the eagerness to urge his horse to renewed speed but his head was well up and his eyes keenly on the watch they glowed too with the fire of excitement cit ement and chis fingers were twitching nervously as they handled the he was tooth both in haste and on the watch he turned suddenly from the avenue and struck off through the myrtles in y artles toward a dense portion of the woods he had gone a half mile or so when all 11 of a sudden he stopped threw back his head and gave the hoot of an owl it was answered without further hesitation he plunged on as fast as the undergrowth would allow in a few minutes he had pawed passed through the tangle and entered an open spam space As he be did so he came upon what seemed to be a camp of soldiers or rather what had bad been for the soldiers themselves had disappeared leaving five or six youths the most of them no older than the rider they were gathered about a smoldering fire watching some ash cakes bake jike J the young rider they were dressed in the uniform of the continental army but so dilapidated it could barely be indeed flomp of them had dispensed with their coats and now wore ore hunting shirts of rough material with leather belts boys bo cried jethro pinkney as he be dashed into their midst where is col aulbrey and the rest of the men gone for il a brush with the british ers was the quick reply they were sent for by marion he Is in a tight place and wants them to help him out I 1 of it they just left us to care for the camp and the things they carry 11 well this Is a go I 1 mean he be added quickly because the men are not here boys he continued excitedly dont idona stop slop to eat get your horses at once and your guns and come with me for or it if ye we dont act theres no one else that wretch balfour down yonder in charleston has ordered ibe tha execution of old col rutledge the british caal claim that ha vow of loyalty to the mother country 1 I wish wh the old colonels tongue had been out wh when en lie he made it 3 and that meclias kotonly Ao not only tonly been contributing r to the needs olour or aur partisan soldiery t at he ahas has actually joined ma 1 I 1 I 1 aud and when hew awas captured bit the anvor very oollah foolish of 0 the hotd zt gentleman I 1 edum I 1 mastray mas bayto tsay T sayto say to ven tp h alsa under the t fort at e it 1 ut it 1 waa 1 l W nt ot bf I 1 I 1 i i ida w hd wa nt e dio PV i W 07 au and sow 1 t 8 G I 1 odrea alfi iv ingoing p acha nr j ix ii ear 1 1 hasu so they 1 1 fyd fass rv xi 11 tr I 1 aay v ewh 0 imm I 1 3 I 1 1 1 is A pt faLA A s Z Z I 1 aca 07 02 tell tal I 1 a Z 1 ll 11 yi 1 7 hoem ak cia 4 0 1 f ir treas t i I 1 7 j r fa 44 ci i m k 11 t df e f js j S ag aji ja ii 1 a T 1 or a r abw ii M bolanz i 1 al 4 ir 4 af BuAry q I 1 b I 1 F 3 7 shu i N amia eol mel ima 46 tC ai i M A 0 4 i k 1 4 42 X 1 0 I 1 il z annl i I 1 LL V ab X A 0 r A t 9 mi M i m I 1 40 n S ak at a 4 beep ah fp 1 r I 1 1 I 1 aw i I 1 I 1 ITZ fi I 1 of v i 4 i 1 I 4 e I 1 A 3 0 a to 11 1 1 4 t f ata M M K 1 r W Y P I 1 m wi M WF WWI A I 1 0 9 E jim 01 7 pry si 11 I 1 m MUM b dr I 1 I 1 11 I 1 1 ak M I 1 AM W I 1 8 A tf a t i 1 F t 1197 4 I 1 0 1 1 i f i 2 issey is sey aa 1 a g f I 1 q i t l have I 1 er fearney fe arnea 11 11 ea tor for it ii ts li supposed xione ot of conr men are hereabouts aud and t wt want to tako take any an more from ron tha garrison 0 the fort than they can milt help boys mount quickly we wilf station our selves along the road and we must i rescue the cold colonel nel there Is li no one else and he will be murdered if we dont get him but jeth what can a handful of boys bom like us do asked arthur wallace doubtfully why it would be oily folly to ev even e n try against all those soldiers shoot our heads off before we could turn around we have one to three declared jethro boldly marton whip out that squad ot of Britis hers up on the santee last week when he even one to ten the way our soldiers fight proudly yes but we are not marion replied arthur decidedly but we are marions men declared jethro proudly the fire of manhood in his bis eyes the words acted like a trumpet call E each ach young soldier buckled on his pistol pisto tol seized his rifle and sprung to his horse shouting marions men we are marions men once through the thicket they halted about yards from the edge ot of the public road for consultation it wu wis agreed that they were to divide themselves into two squads one squad was to take up its position in a small thicket of pines with a dense undergrowth of wild myrtle about an eighth of a mile from the scene ot of execution the other squad was to be concealed in a similar thicket of scrub turkey oak and myrtle within or yards yarda of the first when the soldiers soldier 3 from the fort carrying the old colonel to execution were midway between the two squads the attack was to be made and with all the noise and demonstration possible they had bad not more than taken their places when the procession from the fort was seen approaching there were twenty soldiers eight I 1 were walking tour our abreast in front the same number behind while in the center was the colonel with two soldiers on either side of him these five were on horseback the old mans hat was off it had fallen and the soldiers would not stop to pick it t up he rode with head erect the sunlight gleaming down upon his silvered locks his hands were tied behind his back but he held himself proudly up he looked what he was every inch a courtly gentleman despite the degradation of his position the procession came along slowly evidently the soldiers were in no hurry step by step they neared the first squad of young partisans concealed in the thickets suddenly the hoot of an owl rang put out it was answered by another the second had barely died away when there was a quick report of firearms then the clang of sabers while later above the din came the cry of marion marion marion at the first sound of firearms the british soldiers stopped threw up their heads and stood ready tor for the word of command the attack had bad evidently come from the front tor for the noise and smoke were still apparent from that direction As the word waa given the soldiers raised their muskets and fired tho the noise had barely died away when there came the second attack this time from a different direction the soldiers turned in cOuSter consternation nation they were attacked also from the rear something like a panic ensued just az aa it was waa developing itself very perceptibly there arose that dreaded cry of marion marion marion a name that at that time never tailed failed to carry terror to the heart of 0 even the bravest the soldiers were at once thrown into contusion confusion it seemed to them that they were being closed in by the enemy and beyond a doubt by marions Max ions whole army for were not those cries of marlon marion marion marl marion on PI resounding on all sides the 0 men in the rear were wera the first to break ranks and flee by making a hasty detour of the woods to the right of the them they might yet reach the tort fort in safety the eight in front seeing their ranks thus weakened and hearing the noises of the combined attacks increasing moment by moment also lost logt heart as well as courage and turned in pursuit of their companions only the four our about col rutledge Ru seemed determined to remain they now closed around their prisoner and for a moment or so 60 showed stubborn fight but the next Ino moment ment there be inga ing a rush rash on horseback from the woods in two Ah directions it was waa more than even their nerve could stand wheeling their horses abey to top joined in the flight flighty but before taming 1 to nee flee two hands tola sought io tb grav tho the colonels bridle reins ing and M pel his horse to follow adt the steed refused rel used to obey chey I 1 1 L agthe As the soldiers fled aid the boy soldiers sold lers emerged from their 90 Vert yelling aila rand fring firing 1 I 1 letb jeann was as the first to reach col luttge se faud did not valt blit ala 1 I 1 jor 1 t h 11 atie amz I 1 gained a I 1 to 2 1 14 lax 1 14 1 t helmes ti axi ight j 0 j 33 1 T g t LH call B itic s dijk d i the 1 V h A d as I 1 lea U c rt to r il 16 wooda a TM 0 O iu i 0 u t I 1 kiy tuoc I 1 abid nn d iel i ARWA A 8 I 1 ovll I 1 foiw r 4 tl mal 1 1 I 1 i ba lia ica i yow i I 1 joud ma t A bat ila u 45 A W 11 wb A bidd t b a MA M A ia RI 9 f M 1 7 I 1 cinc az t A a L F 0 1 F WA laje J dr s ta OM ilk ix PL P JA 2 T xa AM 1 T I 1 P eq I 1 M j ur 5 0 binl u M W AO C U haq g 7 t U k j 13 kc t t imp i w I 1 t 1 m S Z v s aadi 7 3 1 esya 11 eSy 4 1 1 T 1 A r I 1 I 1 y I 1 r aa ta 1 i r i I 1 we have done credit to our com tta ader de der that you have boys bless you aad lie ba added softly 1 I feel suro sure now that this old country of ours t is going to be saved when even the boys boya show ghow such spirit the colonel have to live long ions to find the fulfillment of his hia prophecy nor was that the first or the last deed of courage performed by these brave brava boy soldiers of south carolina during the stormy days of 1780 chicago reo beo ord |